Window profile for a rail vehicle

ABSTRACT

A rail vehicle window profile has window corners, a vertical stop frame, a first horizontal stop frame extending from a window corner, and a second horizontal stop frame extending from another one of the window corners. The vertical stop frame contains a profiled section which has a receiving region for an air-conditioning duct.

The present invention relates to a window profile for a rail vehicle. In particular, the present invention relates to a rail vehicle window profile, having window corners, a vertical stop frame, a first horizontal stop frame, a second horizontal stop frame, wherein the vertical stop frame comprises a profile which has a receiving region for an air-conditioning duct, for example.

PRIOR ART

Rail vehicles form complex multi component systems, the composition of materials and structural design of which is constrained by a large number of widely differing boundary conditions. Thus, the particular requirements on safety, reliability, functionality and, not least, also economy of technical implementation which arise in the rail vehicle construction sector represent a multilayered challenge which is encountered in this way only in attenuated form, if at all, in other vehicle construction sectors.

In rail vehicle construction, there are higher design requirements in the region of the window profiles as regards the load-bearing capacity, carriage body stiffness, space requirements and accuracy of fit to be provided in this region. Moreover, different functions must be performed in the region of the window, e.g. accommodating the window panes but also the air ducting for the supply and removal of air to and from the vehicle interior.

Hitherto, these functions have been provided by a plurality of different individual components connected to one another by various joining methods in order to meet the respective design pecifications. A simple, favorable, compact and integral solution for uniting different functions in one component in the window region of a rail vehicle is not yet known.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to indicate a window component for a rail vehicle which has enhanced integration of functions.

This object is achieved by claim 1. Specific embodiment of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

The invention provides a rail vehicle window profile, having window corners, a vertical stop frame, a first horizontal stop frame, a second horizontal stop frame, which is characterized in that the vertical stop frame comprises a profile which has a receiving region for an air-conditioning duct.

Through such an embodiment, according to the invention, of a window profile, the function of accommodating the window pane and carrying the inlet and/or exhaust air for the vehicle interior is advantageously combined in one component. On the one hand, this results in economic utilization of the available installation space and, on the other hand, weight savings can be achieved, these being advantageous given the current striving for lightweight construction of rail vehicles.

In the sense according to the invention, rail vehicles are vehicles which move on tracks comprising rails (section of rail track) arranged in pairs and/or in parallel. This category includes railroads, suburban rail services, subways, suspension railways, freight cars, passenger cars, locomotives, railcars and driving units, for example. Lightweight rail vehicles are rail vehicles.

According to the invention, provision is made here for a single- or multi-part, preferably extruded, vertical profile, which is incorporated structurally into the vehicle body shell to form the outer contour of the rail vehicle in the window region without additional paneling. In addition to the task of forming a lateral frame for receiving the window, the profile thereby also assumes structural tasks in terms of vehicle statics.

As a particularly preferred option, the profile is an extruded aluminum profile. This offers the advantage of material-saving manufacture with simultaneous optimization of the microstructure of the material, which contributes through its low relative density to further reducing the unladen weight of the vehicle. As a particularly preferred option, the profile material is an aluminum alloy of the type EN AW 6005 A.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the window corners to be provided on the window profile are integrally formed, with the result that at least the vertical stop frame and window corners are together formed in one piece. Here, integral formation can be accomplished, for example, by suitable mechanical machining methods, such as milling out.

According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for at least the vertical stop frame and the window corners to be provided thereon to be manufactured from an organic sheet. In the sense according to the invention, an organic sheet is to be taken to mean a fiber composite material which represents a selective combination of two or more materials which enhances the properties of the individual components, e.g. a composite of high-strength fibers and a plastic. In this case, the fibers have a decisive influence on the properties of the composite material, e.g. on the strength and stiffness of the material. In particular, the term organic sheets should here be taken to mean “prepregs” based on thermoplastics. Prepregs, in turn, are semi finished products consisting of continuous fibers, which are introduced unidirectionally or as a woven fabric into the fiber composite. Suitable potential fibers here are glass or mineral fibers, aramid fibers or even carbon fibers, for example. Suitable thermoplastics for the production of corresponding organic sheets are polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polypropylene (PP), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polyamide (PA) or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), for example.

In the receiving region, to be provided according to the invention, for an air-conditioning duct, such an air-conditioning duct can be introduced as a separate component, e.g. in the form of a plastic tube or the like. However, it is particularly preferred that the air-conditioning duct be an integral part of the vertical stop frame and that it be formed by the receiving region itself. Through such an integrative embodiment, it is advantageously possible to further reduce the installed weight. The connection stubs for the air-conditioning duct can be bonded into or onto the profile or the vertical stop frame as a component part, being composed of a fiber composite material for example.

According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the first horizontal stop frame to form a roof rounding profile and the second horizontal stop frame to form a longitudinal beam profile of the rail vehicle body. This design configuration offers high stiffness in respect of transverse roof vibrations and thus contributes to the ride comfort to be achieved and to passive vehicle safety. In particular, provision can be made here for the window corners to be adapted to match the loading in terms of their material thickness, and for the welded joint with the longitudinal profiles (roof rounding and longitudinal beam profile) to be in the region of relatively low stresses. Moreover, provision can be made for the material to be milled away between the window corners and for a frameless window to be inserted from the outside and bonded in flush with the outer skin.

In the case of the longitudinally extending profiles of the window profile according to the invention, i.e. the upper and lower horizontally extending stop frame, provision can furthermore be made for said profiles likewise to be extruded and to have press-fitted weld pool retainers and/or milled-out pockets to enable them to be connected more easily to the vertically extending profiles by means of conventional joining methods, such as welding. Provision can be made here for the wall thickness of the longitudinally extending profiles to be thickened only in the regions of high stress and to have a correspondingly reduced wall thickness in the regions of low stress. It is thereby possible to reduce the weight of the corresponding component in an advantageous manner.

According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the vertical stop frame to have an insulating region for receiving an insulating means. It is thereby possible to combine a further function, namely thermal insulation with respect to the exterior, in the window profile in an advantageous manner. In particular, provision can be made here for a thermoset foam or a metal foam to be introduced into the insulation region as an insulating means. Examples of suitable thermoset foams are rigid foams based on polyurethane, melamine resin or phenolic resin. Examples of suitable metal foams are aluminum, zinc, titanium or steel foams, among which aluminum foams are particularly preferred. One advantage of using metal foams lies in their high stability combined with low relative density, as a result of which they make a contribution to the improved statics of the body shell structure. At the same time, no fire risk factors are introduced into the body shell structure of the rail vehicle when using metal foams as an insulating means.

According to another embodiment of the invention, provision can be made for the vertical stop frame to have a reinforcing lip. In particular, provision can be made here for the reinforcing lip to be provided in the receiving region for the air-conditioning duct and thus to be provided in the direction of the interior of the rail vehicle. Providing a reinforcing lip increases the stability of the vertical stop frame, thereby enabling a further contribution to be made to the overall stability of the body shell structure.

The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to figures.

FIG. 1 A+B show a first embodiment of a window profile according to the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a cross section through an embodiment of a profile of a vertical stop frame;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section through an embodiment of another profile of a vertical stop frame;

FIG. 4 shows a cross section through an embodiment of another profile of a vertical stop frame;

FIG. 5 shows an external view of a rail vehicle with an embodiment of a window profile according to the invention; and

FIG. 6 shows an internal view of a rail vehicle with an embodiment of a window profile according to the invention in the body shell structure.

FIG. 1A shows a first embodiment of a window profile 100 according to the invention. The window profile 100 for a rail vehicle has window corners 110, a vertical stop frame 120, a first horizontal stop frame 130 and a second horizontal stop frame 140. The vertical stop frame 120 consists of a profile which has a receiving region (not visible in this view) for an air-conditioning duct. At least the vertical stop frame 120 forms the outer contour of the rail vehicle, without additional paneling. The window corners 110 are preferably formed integrally on the vertical stop frame profile 110, e.g. by producing the entire profile as an extruded basic profile, from which the window corners 110 are produced by means of machining methods or suitable cutting methods, such as laser or water jet cutting. The upper horizontal stop frame 130 is preferably formed by a roof rounding profile. It is particularly preferred here that the upper horizontal stop frame 130, like the vertical stop frame 110, should form the outer contour of the rail vehicle, without additional paneling. The lower horizontal stop frame 140 is preferably formed from an outer longitudinal beam profile of the body shell, and it is likewise preferred that the lower horizontal mounting frame 140 should also form the outer contour of the rail vehicle, without additional paneling. As shown in FIG. 1B, a weld pool retainer 122, which is introduced into the profiles during the extrusion thereof for example, is preferably provided in the joining regions 121, in which the vertical stop frame 120 is connected to the horizontal stop frame 130 for example. Moreover, pockets 123 can be provided in the joining regions 121 in order to optimize said regions. Through appropriate configuration of the joining regions 121, it is possible, for example, to weld the parts to be joined by means of a butt seam.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section through an embodiment of a profile of a vertical stop frame 120. The profile, which is preferably extruded, has a stop 125, with respect to which a window pane of the rail vehicle, which is introduced into the stop frame, preferably being bonded in, can be supported. The window frame is preferably inserted into the window profile in such a way that the outside of the window pane ends flush with the outer contour of the rail vehicle. Provision can be made here for regions 127 to be mechanically machined (e.g. milled out) to form the window corners shown in FIGS. 1A+B, the vertical stop frame 120 thus being provided as a basic profile of the extruded semi finished profile, from which regions 127 are removed by suitable machining methods or cutting methods, such as laser or water jet cutting, in order to form the final profile contour. Moreover, the profile has a receiving region 150, into which an air-conditioning duct can be introduced. The cavity 126 provided in the profile shown increases the bending stiffness of the vertical stop frame, while provision can be made to introduce an insulating means into the cavity 126. If a metal foam, such as aluminum or titanium foam, is used as an insulating means, for example, this can advantageously make a further contribution to the bending stiffness of the profile by virtue of its mechanical properties. To further improve the stability of the profile, a reinforcing lip 180 can be provided in the receiving region 150. FIG. 3 shows a cross section through an embodiment of another profile of a vertical stop frame 120. The profile shown here also has a stop 125, with respect to which the window pane to be inserted can be supported. Regions 127 can be removed from a semi finished profile by suitable machining methods, as explained in relation to FIG. 2, in order, for example, to recess the window corners to be provided out of the vertical stop frame 120, which forms a window post. A region 150 to receive an air-conditioning duct is likewise provided.

FIG. 4 shows a cross section through an embodiment of another profile of a vertical stop frame 120. The profile, which is preferably extruded, has a stop 125, with respect to which a window pane 190, inserted into the stop frame, of the rail vehicle can be supported. The window pane 190 is preferably inserted into the window profile in such a way that the outside 193 of the window pane 190 ends flush with the outer contour 200 of the rail vehicle. To achieve this, provision can be made for a spacer element 192 to be arranged between the stop 125 and the window pane.

The preferably frameless window pane 190 is inserted into the window profile by means of a seal 191. Moreover, the profile has an air-conditioning duct 160, which is not inserted as a separate component but is formed by the profile, i.e. the vertical stop frame 120 itself. The profile has an insulating region 170, into which an insulating means 171 is introduced. If a metal foam, such as aluminum or titanium foam, is used as an insulating means 171, for example, this can advantageously make a further contribution to the bending stiffness of the profile by virtue of its mechanical properties.

FIG. 5 shows an external view of a rail vehicle with one embodiment of a window profile 100 according to the invention. The vertical stop frame 120 forming the window post has window corners 110 press-fitted thereon. The upper horizontal stop frame 130 is formed by the roof rounding profile of the rail vehicle roof, whereas the lower horizontal stop frame 140 is formed by an outer longitudinal beam profile of the body shell. The window pane 190 is inserted into the window profile so as to end flush with the outer contour of the rail vehicle.

FIG. 6 shows an internal view of a rail vehicle with an embodiment of a window profile according to the invention in the body shell structure. While the window corners 110 of the vertical stop frame 120 forming the window post are visible, the majority of the vertical stop frame 120 is concealed by air-conditioning ducts 160 in the view shown. The upper horizontal stop frame 130 is formed by the roof rounding profile of the rail vehicle roof, whereas the lower horizontal stop frame 140 is formed by an outer longitudinal beam profile of the body shell. 

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A rail vehicle window profile, comprising: a vertical stop frame having a profile defining a receiving region with an air-conditioning duct; window corners extending from said vertical stop frame; a first horizontal stop frame extending from one of said window corners; and a second horizontal stop frame extending from another one of said window corners.
 12. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said air conditioning duct is an integral part of said vertical stop frame.
 13. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said vertical stop frame is manufactured from an extruded metal profile or from an organic sheet.
 14. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said first horizontal stop frame forms a roof rounding profile and said second horizontal stop frame forms a longitudinal beam profile of a rail vehicle body.
 15. The window profile according to claim 11, further comprising an insulating device; and wherein said vertical stop frame has an insulating region for receiving said insulating device.
 16. The window profile according to claim 15, wherein said insulating device is formed from metal foam and/or a thermo set foam.
 17. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said vertical stop frame forms part of a vehicle outer wall.
 18. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said vertical stop frame has a reinforcing lip.
 19. The window profile according to claim 11, wherein said vertical stop frame has, in a joining region, a weld pool retainer formed by a further profile of said vertical stop frame itself.
 20. A rail vehicle, comprising: a rail vehicle window profile, containing: a vertical stop frame having a profile defining a receiving region with an air-conditioning duct; window corners extending from said vertical stop frame; a first horizontal stop frame extending from one of said window corners; and a second horizontal stop frame extending from another one of said window corners. 